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About John Farrell

John Farrell directs the Energy Self-Reliant States and Communities program at the Institute for Local Self-Reliance and he focuses on energy policy developments that best expand the benefits of local ownership and dispersed generation of renewable energy. More

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Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 15, 2013

A Local Solar Energy Standard for Minnesota

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/local-solar-energy-standard-minnesota/

The following presentation outlines a 10% solar energy standard to be considered by the Minnesota legislature in early 2013. It would require utilities to supply 10% of their energy sales from solar electricity – largely local, distributed solar.  It provides long-term, standard contracts to solar projects with a value of solar production-based price and a… Continue reading

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ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 13, 2013

A Prescription for Long Island

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/prescription-long-island/

Remapping Debate, February 13, 2013 Hurricane Sandy, which blew through the New York metropolitan area late last October, left millions of households and businesses in the region in the dark. Few places were unplugged for as long as the service territory of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA), the state owned electric power distribution company… Continue reading

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Featured Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 4 Comments | Updated on Feb 8, 2013

Germany Has More Solar Power Because Everyone Wins

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/germany-solar-power-wins/

Suddenly everyone knows about Germany’s solar power dominance because Fox Newsheads made an ass of themselves, suggesting that the country is a sunny, tropical paradise.  Most media folks have figured out that there are some monster differences in policy (e.g. a feed-in tariff), but then latch on to the “Germans pay a lot extra” meme. … Continue reading

greentechmedialogo
ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 8, 2013

Solar Outside the Sunbelt: Minnesota

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/solar-sunbelt-minnesota/

Greentech Media, February 8, 2013 Minnesota’s solar resource is the same as that of Jacksonville, Florida or Houston, Texas, according to Institute for Local Self-Reliance (ILSR) Senior Researcher John Farrell. Its installed solar capacity is 13 megawatts. Farrell is part of a drive to have the legislature set a standard requiring 10 percent solar by… Continue reading

archaic utility rules barriers infographic ILSR
Article filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 5, 2013

Utility “Gets Ready” for More Local Energy in Hawai’i

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/utility-action-means-local-energy-hawaii/

Hawai’an solar advocates are celebrating this week after the island state’s largest utility, Hawai’ian Electric (HECO) filed a plan with the public utility commission to take a “proactive approach” to adding more distributed solar to their grid system. Utilities across the country typically use “conservative blanket limits” on the amount of renewable energy allowed on… Continue reading

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Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Feb 1, 2013

John Farrell Discusses Clean, Local Energy Options for Minneapolis (Podcast)

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/john-farrell-discusses-clean-local-energy-options-minneapolis-podcast/

John Farrell spoke to the Stone Arch discussion forum of the local DFL Education Foundation on January 12, 2013, about  the Minneapolis Energy Options campaign to let the people of Minneapolis take charge of their energy future. The grassroots campaign is challenging the energy monopoly of Xcel and Centerpoint Energy and hopes to give the… Continue reading

Bill Moyer, Backbone Campaign
Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Jan 31, 2013

Bill Moyer: Episode 2 of Local Energy Rules Podcast

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/bill-moyer-episode-2-local-energy-rules-podcast/

In this edition of Local Energy Rules, John Farrell and Wade Underwood speak with Bill Moyer of the Backbone Campaign about a nascent community solar project in Vashon, WA. We ask Bill about his involvement with the project as a community organizer—delving into the frustrating regulatory barriers that have kept the project from coming to… Continue reading

greentechmedialogo
ILSR Press Room filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 2 Comments | Updated on Jan 25, 2013

Mapping Solar Grid Parity in the US

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/mapping-solar-grid-parity-2/

Greentech Media, January 25, 2013 With solar prices dropping in the U.S. and around the world, John Farrell noticed that the German solar boom was not flagging despite the slow, steady reduction in its subsidy. “The trajectory looked very good for solar to be something that would work, not only from a distributed energy and… Continue reading

Screenshot of Whiteboard video of Rooftop Revolution research
Article, ILSR Press Room, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | 2 Comments | Updated on Jan 24, 2013

Solar Rooftop Revolution: A Video Whiteboard

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/solar-rooftop-revolution-video-whiteboard/

Solar company Renvu created a delightful whiteboard animation of the results from our Rooftop Revolution research, which automatically makes them cooler than the average solar company.  Check it out below or on Youtube. Continue reading

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Article, Resource filed under Energy | Written by John Farrell | No Comments | Updated on Jan 16, 2013

Local Energy Rules

The content that follows was originally published on the Institute for Local Self-Reliance website at http://www.ilsr.org/local-energy-rules/

A twice monthly podcast from Institute for Local Self-Reliance’s Democratic Energy project, talking with people doing great community energy projects and examining how energy policies help or hurt the development of clean, local power. See the first episode with Anya Schoolman about the Mt. Pleasant Solar Cooperative in Washington, DC, or look at the full… Continue reading